The relationship between total length (L, cm) and weight (W, kg) in the large northern pike (Esox lucius) was investigated using a dataset comprising 802 specimens weighing between 1 and 18.8 kg caught during fishing competitions. The applying the data to the equation W = aLb, yielded a = 6.648 × 10-6 and b = 3.0217. Weight residuals fluctuate during the fishing season, likely due to conditions of the fish, probably associated with gonad development. Additionally, the equations including maximum girth (G, cm) — W = aGb and W = a(L × G)b — were fitted using a subset of record fish totalling 186 specimens. Comparison of the equations W = aLb and W = aGb showed that weight was better described by maximum girth (AIC = 624.9) rather than by length (AIC = 690.0), but the best fit was obtained with the equation W = a(L × G)b (AIC = 566.3) with the parameters a = 2.426 × 10-3 and b = 0.974.
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1 June 2014
Variation in length, girth and weight of large northern pikes (Esox lucius) in Finland
Marco Milardi,
Jyrki Lappalainen & ,
Teppo Juntunen
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Annales Zoologici Fennici
Vol. 51 • No. 3
June 2014
Vol. 51 • No. 3
June 2014